


Staged

by CuriousKurona



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Band Fic, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-11-26 07:57:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18177968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousKurona/pseuds/CuriousKurona
Summary: Yamaguchi Tadashi is a volleyball smashing through the window that is Oikawa Tooru's carefully constructed persona. Oikawa Tooru sues for damages.* * *Band/Celebrity AU





	1. First Impressions (Are Hard To Erase)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is just an exposition chapter, to introduce some characters and set things rolling!
> 
> hope you enjoy! :)

A reputation is a fragile thing. 

They aren’t easy to maintain by any means; tainted by a word, fouled by a rumor, washed away by a vendetta- pray that you have some saving grace against tabloid's petty gossip. Even still, others may never look at you the same way again. 

Oikawa knew this. Yamaguchi knew this. Everyone in the business knew this. 

“So,” a sickeningly saccharine voice began, “what’ll it be?”

Yamaguchi shook Oikawa’s hand.

* * *

Friday, 2:27 pm

The seven story building was busy in every sense of the word; Yamaguchi checked to make sure that he had the right address. The way that Suga had made this place sound, he thought it would be more… sophisticated? Nothing like the bright oranges and pinks, and frankly gaudy bead curtains. There was a balloon garland bordering the front door… it looked more like a car dealership than anything else (sans cars, of course). In any case, the address was correct, so he made his way through the double doors and stood in line to speak to the lady at the front desk. It was well lit and clean, white walls pasted with posters of various artists- it didn’t look like a sketchy place, at least.  
The line was moving forward quickly, but was relatively long, and he found himself looking around, thinking about the conversation he and Suga had had just a few nights before…

* * *

_“You’re Yamaguchi, right? You’re really good!”_

_Yamaguchi shrugged his jacket on, and rubbed the back of his neck modestly._

_“Ah? I’m glad you think so! Thank you,”_

_But before he could continue exiting the backstage, the shorter man stopped him with a hand to Yamaguchi's chest. Yamaguchi got the feeling that this wasn’t just a passing fan offering flattery._

_“Yamaguchi-san… where do you see yourself in five years?”_

 

The next thirty or so minutes were spent sitting down with the man (who he now knew to be Sugawara Koushi, preferably Suga) at the same place he had just performed at- for free, of course. He never missed an open mic night, and apparently neither did Suga. It was in the job description for Suga to go to various clubs and cafes, any open mic night or talent show he got wind of, to scout out potential partners for his management agency. Coincidentally, Suga happened to attend The Golden Grease Pit’s open mic that night. And he liked what he saw. 

Yamaguchi listened to the pitch that Suga threw at him. According to Suga, Yamaguchi was new, he was different- supposedly, his vibe was just what their label needed. Cynically, Yamaguchi thought of how many other people Suga had said those same words to. Suga kept going, saying he was soft, but solid, quiet but unignorable- something about him, apparently, just drew you in.

But Yamaguchi knew that he wasn’t a star. He ran through a seemingly endless list of reasons he wasn’t star material- he just couldn’t be who Suga was looking for. But how could he make Suga understand this?

He couldn’t. Suga was patient and polite, but very persistent, which Yamaguchi supposed came with the job’s territory. Suga had an answer for everything; he didn’t have to start with large crowds. He could be in a duo or even a band if it would make him more comfortable. He could dress any way he liked. Suga insisted that Yamaguchi was absolutely the person he was looking for. 

Yamaguchi felt guilty about turning down what he knew so many would- _**had**_ sacrificed so much for. But he really didn’t feel that what Suga was offering was… him. He really thought that Suga misunderstood.

A pregnant silence grew between the men. He asked if he could think about it, and Suga gave him a card. Yamaguchi was still apprehensive, but he figured he could stand to look into it more before turning Suga down. He wanted to think of some questions to ask, and also subscribed to the idea that you should sleep on big decisions like this.

_“Come see me, when you’re ready. The offer will always be open”_

* * *

A woman behind him cleared her throat, and he noticed that he was now standing before the lady at the front desk. Snapping out of his abstraction, he had the receptionist buzz him in, and took directions to Suga’s office- 16th floor. It dawned on him, then, that Suga was probably a really important person. He gulped, and scrutinized his outfit in the elevator’s mirrored walls. Maybe he was being too nonchalant about this whole thing.

Before he had time to panic, a group of people got on the elevator with him. Most of them were taller than him, and two of them were bickering. There was a very short boy with bright orange hair, and a very tall man with spiked black hair, styled to be half up half down. The third man, who was bickering with the short one, stilled upon noticing Yamaguchi was there, and the rest fell silent after him. He was beautiful. His hair was chestnut, his skin was clear, his eyes were sparkling. He was tall, and lean, and had an all around gorgeous face. He looked Yamaguchi up and down and said, eyebrow lifted, “Are you lost?”

Yamaguchi stiffened immediately. He knew what that meant. It wasn’t a concerned question, it was a condescending one. The tone, the body language, the look on the man’s face- Yamaguchi felt further cemented in his thought that _he shouldn’t be there_.

Mr. Gorgeous was shoved by the one with wild black hair. “Oi, don’t be rude”. Spiky-hair shot him an apologetic glance before focusing his attention back to his phone- seemingly a text conversation.

With that, the bickering resumed. 

“You aren’t going to beat us this year, Oikawa-san! We’ll win for sure!”

“Oh? And how do you plan on doing that, Chibi-chan? With the band you don’t have and the piss-poor manager you do? I’d like to see you try” Oikawa was smiling, but he looked irritated. 

“Yachi said she’d think about it, so she’s probably joining! As soon as we get Tsukishima-san to join, we’ll have a full band!”

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Come on, Tetsu-chan” 

The elevator stopped at the third floor, and with that, Yamaguchi was alone with Chibi-chan.

“Ooooo, he makes me so mad! Like, GWEEEEEH, you know!?” eyes clenched, Chibi-chan jumped up and down in the elevator out of frustration. Yamaguchi thought he was going to have a heart attack. Before he could plead with the boy to stop jumping, Chibi-chan whipped his head up and stopped to look at Yamaguchi.

“Oh. You’re new, aren’t you?”

“Well, not-”

“Well if you weren’t new, you’d totally agree with me. Oikawa’s the worst…” He huffed and stuck his tongue out at the elevator door, insulting any lingering presence Oikawa might have left behind.

He turned to Yamaguchi, “I’m Hinata, by the way! Hinata Shouyo, soon to be number one on the charts, and Battle of the Bands champion!” He stuck his arms out wide in such a confident and passionate pose, that Yamaguchi was afraid he might start jumping again. Thankfully, he lowered his arms and remained on the floor.

“Who are you?”

“I’m, uh... Yamaguchi Tadashi. It’s nice to meet you.” He was only half lying. Despite their first interaction being less than nice (and more than terrifying), he was glad to have a familiar face in his back pocket.

The elevator dinged on the fifth floor, and Hinata-san tightened his grip on his backpack. Huh. Yamaguchi didn’t even notice he was wearing one. It made him look like an elementary schooler. 

“This is my stop! Good luck, Yamaguchi-san!”

Hinata’s screechy voice rang out over the whole floor, and all Yamaguchi could do was wave meekly back at him, cringing and raising his shoulders. He pushed the ‘close doors’ button a few times to escape the floor (and the stares of those in what seemed like a waiting room) as soon as possible- but just as the doors were about to close, a hand interrupted. 

In walked another Mr. Gorgeous- no, two of them. _‘There must be something in the water here…’_ Yamaguchi thought to himself.

One was tall, blonde, and undeniably handsome- glasses framing his face nicely, relaxed posture pulling his suit taut in all the right places… the other, not as tall yet with a larger presence, had straight black hair and deep blue eyes. They also seemed to be bickering, albeit quieter. The water must be causing that, too.

“Look, just join the band” came grunted out of the shorter one, but Blondie wasn’t paying attention. Instead, his eyes were trained on Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi gulped.

The blonde’s amber eyes looked him up and down, cold but otherwise hard to read. The shorter one realized Blondie was ignoring him, and grabbed Blondie’s shoulder roughly.

“Oi, Shittyshima! Stop ogling and give me an answer already, bastard!”

Shittyshima(?) rolled his eyes, lips pressed into a hard line, and glared at the shorter man. 

“I gave you my answer, and my answer was no. Please don’t insinuate that I’m being unprofessional at my place of work- there’s nothing to ogle at here in the first place.”

Ouch. Yamaguchi knew he was plain looking, but it hasn’t been said to his face (more or less) since he was a highschooler. I mean, who does that? How could someone be so rude? He was embarrassed, but also angry, and pointedly refused to look at either of the men, turning his face sharply to the mirrored wall away from them.

“Don’t be fucking rude-”

“Bye”

Blondie got off, and the shorter man trailed after him. Yamaguchi suspected that it wasn’t even the shorter man’s stop.

He made it to the eighth floor before another character came onto the elevator with him. Short and blond and sweaty, she looked like a mess, but at least she wasn’t fighting with anyone. She silently reviewed some papers in her hand, flipping through them in a rushed fashion. They didn’t really talk, until they hit the ninth floor and another man got in. He was definitely good looking, but not a knockout (in his humble opinion) like Blondie or the OG Mr. Gorgeous. Tawny skin and short black hair. He smelled nice, and looked normal enough.

“Hey Yachi” He nodded, stifling a yawn.

The girl (Yachi, apparently) jumped, sending her papers flying. 

“I-I-I-Iwaizumi-san! S-sempai! SAMA!” she saluted the man (who looked quite uncomfortable), smacking a clammy hand to her forehead.  
He and the man both bent down to pick up the scattered papers as Yachi apologized, and Iwaizumi-san (-sempai? -sama?) assured her that she didn’t have to be so formal, and ‘Iwaizumi-san’ or even just ‘Iwaizumi’ was fine. Yamaguchi figured he must have been important, and thought it was cool that he was still so nice.

As they both returned stacked paper to a bowing and grateful Yachi, Iwaizumi seemed to finally notice that Yamaguchi was there. Yachi got off at the eleventh floor, and the two were alone.

“She’s… not always like that. Well, she’s a nervous person in general, but it’s not usually that bad- I’ll have to check in later, see what’s got her so wound up. I’m Iwaizumi Hajime” he extended a hand to Yamaguchi, and he gratefully took it. In his eyes, Iwaizumi was an absolute angel right now.

“I’m Yamaguchi- Yamaguchi Tadashi. It’s nice to meet you” none of _that_ was a lie.

As they neared the 16th floor, Yamaguchi realized that Iwaizumi was probably going there too, confirming his suspicion that he was an important person. 

“Are you going to see Suga-san too?”

Iwaizumi chuckled “Nah, I left something at my desk. I gotta get it before my friend flips out. You’re going to see Suga?”

Yamaguchi felt a strange mix of pride and apprehension when he answered “Yes. Is that bad? I mean, I don’t know why it’d be bad. He’s really nice, I just- I feel like he’s going to eat me alive or something.”

Iwaizumi-sempai chuckled- such a heavenly chuckle- and leaned in towards Yamaguchi, as if about to tell him something scandalous, a treasured secret.

“He just might” was all he whispered, before leaving Yamaguchi in the elevator, stopped on the 16th floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol, does anyone recognize the title as lyrics from a certain song? i think i might make each chapter title lyrics...
> 
> that is, if anyone is interested in me continuing this! please kudos/bookmark/comment if you enjoyed it, or also if you have any constructive criticism! your feedback means the world to me :)


	2. When I Wake Up (I'm Afraid)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More set-up/exposition- this time about the plot, not introducing characters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my spellcheck: breaking news, dumb bitch still cant spell the word 'beleive' 
> 
> sfxdgcfgyjhujlihugyftdrtfgyh
> 
> this isnt beta'd or anything, im writin these chapters at like 3am and relying on spellcheck/grammarly. pwease have mercy

Yamaguchi bit his lip and forced himself to approach Suga’s door, nausea be damned. He did, however, allow himself the luxury of one big deep breath before knocking slowly.

He heard a cheerful “Come in!”, and so he pushed open the door to reveal Suga sitting at his desk. It was a big desk, so big it made Suga look small, like a child playing in their parent’s den. It didn’t help that the desk (and it’s green lamp) was so old-fashioned, a dark solid wood with molded edges. It went well with the dark green carpeting and pinstripe wallpaper, but the multi colored sticky notes plastered on every surface (even the windowsill) somewhat shifted the aesthetic. 

Yamaguchi bowed deeply in the doorway, and expressed his hope that he hadn’t come at a bad time. Suga waved his worry off, and motioned for Yamaguchi to take a seat.

“I was so excited to hear back from you, Yamaguchi-san! I take it you’ve been thinking about my offer?” Suga sat back in his chair, relaxed, twirling a pen between his fingers as he smiled up at Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi nodded, but said nothing. 

“And?” Suga tilted his head in question, easy smile still on his lips.

Yamaguchi opened his mouth, then closed it. Then, he opened it again. He came here aiming to take Suga up on his proposal, or to see where things went at least. But things always felt different come morning. What was exciting and full of promise in the moonlight was picked apart mercilessly by pragmatism and sense in the light of day, once you could clearly see it from all it’s angles. Those imaginations of being on a stage, having adoring fans, of being a successful musician- they seemed so silly now. His interactions on the way here just gave him more reasons to doubt his place in all this. 

He felt the need to voice his concerns. Someone once said to him that joining passionate people when you aren't going to give it your all is the rudest thing you could do. If his doubts were going to be a concern… better to get this over with. He was trying to get better about it, but he knew that he wasn’t always the most optimistic person, and that probably wasn’t going to change anytime soon. Suga might not want someone like him, who would be so easily dissuaded. 

“It’s a very attractive offer, Suga-san. If I’m being honest, I kind of want to take it. But I just don’t know if I can… I’d hate to disappoint you, or waste anyone’s time.” 

Suga nodded knowingly.

“You aren’t the first to feel that way, Yamaguchi-san, and you surely won’t be the last. Self doubt is normal, but you shouldn’t let it get in the way of opportunities. I approached you, didn't I? That was because I truly believe that you could make it in this business. I’ve been doing this for a long time, Yamaguchi-san. I know a star when I see one.”

Yamaguchi smiled, bashful. Suga’s words were pretty effective at making him feel better. Suga must have been doing this for a long time, right? I mean, he didn’t seem that much older than Yamaguchi, but he was inclined to take Suga’s word about his own experience. If he believed in Suga’s judgment, and Suga believed in him, then… shouldn't he also believe in himself? Yeah… yeah. That was the push he needed.

“Well… you’ve got me there.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor in contemplation. “I can’t honestly say I’m a hundred percent sure about this, but I guess it couldn’t hurt to try, right? If you really believe in me that much… I’ll try my best not to let you down, Suga-san” Yamaguchi bowed, but he was still sitting down, so he couldn’t bow as deeply as he wanted to (in order to keep from smacking his forehead on Suga’s desk).

“That’s the spirit!” Suga stood to shake Yamaguchi’s hand.”I’ll get you all set up right away- there are some packets my assistant can give you outside, and you can go to building C to get an ID pass at your earliest convenience. Ah, I’m so excited! You’re really helping me out, Yamaguchi-san- can I call you Yama? See, there’s this project we’ve been working on…”

 

* * *

As it turned out, Yamaguchi was joining the agency at a very busy time. It was the 50th anniversary of the company that year, and to celebrate, they were filming a lot of BTS (behind the scenes) content to be released on the actual day the company started. 

The plan was to have a few big-name groups/stars to attract viewers. The bulk would be lesser known (but still successful) performers, to give them some publicity, new fans, and overall attention. With the Battle of the Bands coming up, they would also feature some of the competitors to hype that up, maybe catch some healthy banter between rivals, get people interested in following the actual battle. Last (and, well, kind of least) there would be a few newbies thrust into the spotlight. That was where Yamaguchi came in. 

Managers were encouraged to put at least one act up for consideration, and that expectation was amplified for Suga due to his influence. The thing is, Suga hadn’t had anyone under his wing for quite some time. He was constantly recruiting, but those acts were usually referred to others who could take better care of them, especially if the genre was niche or a certain manager otherwise had a useful specialty. Suga wanted to bring in some fresh meat, but no one that was on his “team”, so to speak, was very new at all. Again… that’s where Yamaguchi came in.

Everyone participating in the special would be taken to a remote location, where they would spend two weeks doing interviews, photoshoots, and networking, on top of their usual work (practicing, writing/recording songs, practicing, responding to fans/engaging in social media, PRACTICING). Their accommodations were luxurious, but make no mistake: the workdays would be long. They would have to do this in two separate groups of 25, as 50 was a lot of people to manage- they wanted 50 acts in the special, though, since it was the 50th anniversary. Yamaguchi would go either the first two weeks, or the last two weeks.

If Yamaguchi were to join a group, his manager would be the group’s manager- but for the time being, he was being taken care of by Suga. Well, Suga and Suga’s assistants. Mostly his assistants. Details, details. In any case, Suga thought it would be greatly beneficial to have Yamaguchi be a part of the special. It would not only warm him up to the cameras, but it would be a great networking opportunity. 

Lots of new artists in the company who knew of the special were vying for a spot- but since Suga was pretty powerful, he was able to secure Yamaguchi a spot with little to no trouble. Again, Yamaguchi felt guilty… he also felt kind of overwhelmed. This was all happening a little fast for him; a few days ago he was a nobody doing open mics at bars, and he liked it that way. Now, within a day, he was set to share lodging with big name celebrities for two weeks, and maybe even be on television. It didn’t feel real. What just happened?

He got home emotionally exhausted, and put on a face mask while he played Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and drank boxed wine. He just wanted to relax and decompress... while washing the face mask off in a hot shower, the gravity of the situation hit him, and he curled up in his shower and cried. The familiarity made him feel a little better. 

That night as he crawled into bed, he half-expected to wake up and realize the day had just been a dream. But the wine box was still empty when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!!! im realizing now that this might be a bit of a slow burn. or maybe i should just make the chapters longer? id like to try and update regularly, though, so im planning on getting there slowly but surely instead of updating with big chapters once in a blue moon. what do yall think?
> 
> also im so sorry if this sucked asdfghjtyrhgfeds im trying not to be self-depreciative but. its my first time writing in a while, and also my first time writing certain characters/dynamics at all, so i cant help but feel self-conscious, or feel the need to like... apologize. idk  
> (´-﹏-`；)
> 
> please kudos/bookmark/comment if you enjoyed it, or also if you have any constructive criticism! your feedback means the world to me :)


	3. I Could Really Use A Bud Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me, posting two chapters in one day! the things u can accomplish when u dont sleep :')

Yamaguchi had another meeting with Suga today. He had gone over the packets he had been given, and today he and Suga were going to go over if he had any questions, as well as other more personal logistics of his work at their company. They needed to talk about things like his new songs, whether or not he would write them, his stage name if he wanted one, whether he was going to fly solo or join a group/duo, his practice schedule, his social media presence, and a whole lot more. Unfortunately, things weren’t as easy as “great, you’re famous now! :)”

On his way down from his meeting (the first of many, though he already felt quite accomplished for the day) he ran into the OG Mr. Gorgeous. Honestly, he was about to turn tail and head for the stairs, but he didn’t want to be late for his train home. Reluctantly, he slunk into the elevator next to him. If OGMG noticed him, he didn’t show it. He had a haughty and disinterested air about him, alternating between looking at his phone and checking his own reflection in the elevator’s mirrored walls. This was going to be a long way down.

Eventually, he seemed to take note of Yamaguchi’s presence.

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t see you there!” he smiled. It felt like it could have been an insult, but it was said in such a genuinely friendly and apologetic way that Yamaguchi wasn’t sure. “We met yesterday, didn’t we? I’m sorry if I was a bit rude, I’m afraid something put me in a sour mood- I hope you can forgive me!” He bowed lightly, doe eyed and cheeky smiled. “I’m Oikawa Tooru, of course. And you are?”

Ah. Oikawa Tooru. THE Oikawa Tooru. Yamaguchi hadn’t recognized him yesterday, for whatever reason. Perhaps he was too preoccupied with his nerves, or maybe he was so used to seeing him on posters and billboards that his mind hadn’t registered the the fact that the person in front of him was not also a poster or billboard. Either way, Yamaguchi felt like he had fucked up.

“Ah, It’s fine!” he waved his arms in front of him, as if to wave away any of Oikawa’s worries, “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, It’s nice to meet you- again, I guess” he smiled sheepishly.

Around floor 10, Yamaguchi’s newest favourite person walked into the elevator: Iwaizumi Hajime, the angel himself. 

“Hey, Yamaguchi-san! Fancy meeting you here” Iwaizumi smiled an easy laidback smile, nodding at Yamaguchi. He yawned, seemingly always tired, and stretched his back, arms flexed behind his head. His arm muscles had to have been chiseled by the gods themselves… and the light grey tank top he wore made sure everyone knew it. 

“Good afternoon, Iwaizumi-sempai” Yamaguchi gave a light bow.

Yamaguchi looked to see Oikawa’s reaction to this new addition to the elevator, and noticed that the air around him had completely changed. His body language was stiff, and he was… on his phone? Yamaguchi didn’t recall hearing a ringtone, or seeing the man’s fingers swiping in any way to indicate he was answering a call. It was as if, the moment Iwaizumi came into view, Oikawa’s phone became stuck to his ear. He was nodding and humming as if in conversation, but something just seemed off to Yamaguchi. 

“So, did things go well with Suga?”

Yamaguchi nodded, focusing his attention back on Iwaizumi.

“Mhm! I’m actually set to do this project thing… the 50th anniversary one? I’m kind of nervous, but I’m told I won’t be the only total newb there, so at least I have that going for me. Ah, that’s not a secret or anything, is it? Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…” 

Iwaizumi chuckled, “Nah, you’re good. Words already got around. I’m not surprised that Suga snagged you, though- he’s quite the charmer. But hey, I’m going too, so I guess I’ll see you there.”

“Oh, cool! I guess I will!”

Iwaizumi looked at Oikawa, but saw he was busy on the phone, so he got off at his stop (6th floor) saying goodbye only to Yamaguchi.

When Yamaguchi turned back to Oikawa from waving goodbye, Oikawa seemed to be studying him, his features calculating as they looked him up and down. After a stretch of sweat-inducing silence, he asked

“You know Iwaizumi?”

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on who you asked), They had reached the first floor.

“Yeah- sorry, I have to go or I’ll miss my train!” Yamaguchi scurried out of the elevator without looking back. If he had, he would have seen the gears turning behind Oikawa’s wide eyes.

 

* * *

 

Oikawa Tooru was not in the habit of burning bridges. Thus, he had attempted to make small talk to reconcile with the kid he had ran into yesterday. He knew he had been pretty snide, but it wasn’t his fault! He was just irritable because he hadn’t slept in a few days. Okay, so, maybe it was his fault. That was besides the point. The point was, he didn’t intend to build ill will with anyone. You couldn’t, in this business. He reserved open hatred for a select few, who frankly should be honored Oikawa was thinking about them at all.

One thing that had surprised him, though, was that the kid- Yamaguchi- had apparently met up with Suga. AND he was apparently going to be at the 50th anniversary event. So, he was a musician? Not an intern or some other assistant? Interesting… all the more reason to be cordial. 

But, even more importantly, Iwaizumi Hajime was going to be at the 50th Anniversary event. 

Oikawa Tooru had a bit of a… what one might call, “crush” on Iwaizumi Hajime. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone but his diary.

Many things came easily to Oikawa Tooru (THE Oikawa Tooru), but alas, crushes were not one of them. He was in no way familiar with desire, only being the one desired. He didn't know how to approach Iwaizumi at all, and had been trying to think of the perfect introduction for some time now. In an elevator with an audience, he had never considered. It was a ‘no’ from him.

Did Iwaizumi even know who Oikawa was? I mean, he had to, right? You’d have to be living under a rock to not know who he was! So why hasn't he approached Oikawa? They’ve even seen each other around the office plenty of times, despite never having formally met; simple things, like eye contact across the hall. Did Iwaizumi not like him? He was in a rock band… was this a punk vs prep thing? Did he think Oikawa was shallow because he was a pop star? No, he was too mature for that sort of thing, right?

They had quite a few mutual friends. Oikawa knew Kuroo (and Kuroo’s other bandmates, Lev and Kenma), who knew Bokuto, who was in Iwaizumi’s band (along with Akaashi, who he kind of knew, and Kyoutani, who Oikawa found kind of scary but also a huge brat). Yamaguchi was the most direct mutual friend they had, now. Well, if Yamaguchi and Oikawa could be considered friends... 

…

Huh.

He would see about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope i did oikawa justice! this is like, my second time writing him, hes one of my fave characters tho. hope u enjoyed!!!
> 
> (๑•́ ω •̀๑)
> 
> PS: would yall like it if i said what songs i used lyrics from as the titles? or would u just like to guess? :o


	4. Kiss Kiss Fall In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What do you want.”
> 
> “To play a game.”
> 
> “A game…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A more Oikawa centric chapeter! things are heating up :eyes emoji:

Oikawa was, as usual, the first one at the office. He had finished his green tea and got up to get more, only to notice that there seemed to be people in the breakroom. At this hour? Odd… he hadn’t heard anyone come in.

What he _had_ heard was his name.

He stopped outside the entrance to the breakroom, listening intently.

“He’s such a pompous little asshole”

“Oh come on, he can’t be that bad. I’m sure a lot of your opinion is based on hype from the tabloids”

“What, you’re defending him? Don’t forget that this is the guy who took your spot in the last event lineup. He thinks he can get away with anything, cause he's just ~so perfect~. He’s almost as bad as Suga- that guy gets everything, no questions asked. It’s not fair.”

“I’m not defending him, I just don’t think he’s as bad as you say he is. I’ll admit that Suga has been getting on my nerves lately, though. I mean, I really liked the lineup we had, and then he swoops in just before recruitment deadline with his own guy? And he gets a spot just because Suga The Almighty said so? It’s messed up.”

“I hear ya. God, what I wouldn’t give to punch Oikawa right in his annoying little face…”

Oikawa stepped into the room, and got some more boiling water from the kettle. Silence. He poured it into his mug, added a tea bag, and turned around to face the two on the couch. Two guys Oikawa faintly registered as Usui and Koichi. They seemed mortified. Rightfully so.

Oikawa leaned in and said, softly, with cold eyes

“A word of advice: if you want to trash talk a company head and one of it’s most productive employees, maybe don’t do it in the middle of the office floor.”

He walked back to his desk, leaving them sputtering like fish out of water.

So. Maybe he wasn’t as popular around here as he thought.

* * *

The more time passed, the more Yamaguchi was getting into this. Where before he was just aiming to see where things went, he was now actively wanting to be a part of the music industry. Every night he fell asleep at his bedroom desk, or with papers surrounding him on his bed, ideas littering the room in the form of outfit sketches, song lyrics, and guitar riffs.  
The retreat would start in a few days, and Yamaguchi was a ball of nervous energy. He had befriended Yachi, and spoken a bit more to Hinata, so that was good. He had also found out that he and Iwaizumi would be sharing a room- it was an arrangement that was meant to be beneficial; more experienced artists could mentor the newbies, while the newbies could offer a fresh perspective to those who had been in the game for a while.

He was really excited to spend more time with Iwaizumi! Meanwhile, Oikawa didn’t know how to feel.

Getting to room together would be an amazing way to get to know Iwaizumi. But Oikawa had gotten paired up with some relatively popular indie kid, Tsukishima Kei. What a wonderful opportunity that had presented itself, teasing Oikawa, just out of reach!

Well, was it that far out of reach, really? Oikawa wasn’t the type to go down without a fight. Why should this be an exception? But all his ideas were too mean, going too far, after all it was just some crush. There were other ways to spend time with Iwaizumi that didn’t involve blackmailing some poor kid (besides, he had no collateral). Think smaller... he could just ask Yamaguchi to switch places with him? But then he would have to explain why he wanted to switch... Maybe he could… uh...

He would need some time to think about this.

* * *

“Damn it!” Koichi slammed his fist on the wall.

“I’m sick and tired of that prick acting all cool. Someone needs to teach him a lesson already.”

Usui rubbed his temples, annoyed and feeling a headache coming on. 

“So teach him yourself, stupid! Stop banging on the wall already!” he snapped.

Koichi thought that that was a marvelous idea.

Later that day, Koichi paid a visit to the building’s records office. He asked for Oikawa’s records, and was prompted to give the code one would be given if they needed to access Oikawa’s records for good reason. He guessed the correct one by dumb luck. Was it fate? He considered it Karma- Oikawa was going to get what he deserved. 

In Oikawa’s record, he found very boring things. Basics, like his height and birthday. Looking a little deeper, things got juicier but weren’t particularly incriminating. Then he came across some notes about some recurrent and consistent spending, a part of every paycheck that went automatically to a certain someone. That was all he needed to know.  
* * *

By the next day, Oikawa had decided that every idea for getting to room with Iwaizumi was not worth it, and so he had dropped the idea. It was early in the morning once again, and he had other more important things to work on, like paying attention to his fans.

He heard someone walking towards him, so he looked up to find Koichi in front of his desk.

“Good morning, Oikawa.”

Oikawa’s eyebrow twitched. No honorific? Who did this guy think he was?

“Can I help you?” he said curtly. There was no put on a sweet facade, as Koichi had made it clear that he already did not like Oikawa.

“Yes, actually. You and I are going to have a little talk.”

Oikawa narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”

“I said you and I are going to have a little talk. Could you not hear me over your own ego?” he goaded.

Oikawa stood up slowly.

“Who exactly do you think you are to give me orders?” he challenged.

Koichi simply held up a copy of Oikawa’s dossier.

Oikawa tried to snatch it from him, but Koichi was too quick. 

“Ah ah ah~ I’m sure your fans would love to know all about this, wouldn’t they? What do you think they would think, hm?”

Oikawa watched Koichi, cold and calculating.

“What do you want.”

“To play a game.”

“A game…?”

“Yes, a game. I want to make you work for this” he dangled the dossier in the air between them, “I want you to work for once. I want you to be vulnerable and powerless like the rest of us. I want you to play a game. And if you win, you can have this back. Deal?”

Oikawa slowly sat down, not taking his eyes off Koichi.

“And how do I win?”

“I thought you’d never ask. To win the game, you need to get Iwaizumi Hajime to kiss you.”

Oikawa burst out of his chair “I _**what**_ ”

“You heard me. I’ve seen how you two never seem to interact, and how he doesn’t seem interested in you at all” Ouch. That was a blow to Oikawa’s ego. 

“He’s perfect. Someone that isn’t influenced by your gross amount of power at this place. You’re just another nobody to him, and you’re going to have to start from zero to win his affection- just like the rest of us, you won’t get to start off with any advantages. You’ll have to put yourself out there and work to make someone like you, for once in your life. I know Iwaizumi-san. In this game, your influence and your status and your looks won’t get you anywhere- not even Suga’s favouritism can bail you out of this one”

Oikawa was silent for a few moments, biting his lip and bouncing his leg. He then asked 

“How long do I have?”

“I’ll give you till the end of the 50th-anniversary retreat. If you tell him about this deal, the deal is off. Party game kisses and other kinds of dares don’t count, and neither do ‘accidents’. He has to want to kiss you. Those are the rules.”

Oikawa mulled this over. 

Yes, he wanted to kiss Hajime anyways. But not like this. This felt dirty, wrong, he felt like he was using Iwaizumi. But what choice did he have? He would have to play this sick little game to prove this creep’s point or whatever if he didn’t want his secrets to getting out. A secret like his could ruin everything...

“Fine. Deal.”

They shook hands.

And suddenly, blackmail was back on the brain.


End file.
